The Future of Tech, News and making sense of it all!

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

TPS Consulting Early Wednesday Feed

TECHNOLOGY AND MORE!




The CDs You Burned Are Going Bad: Here’s What You Need to Do

500+How-To Geek / 20h
If you used a computer between 1997 and 2005, you probably burned valuable data to at least one recordable CD (CD-R) or DVD-R. Unfortunately, these have a limited lifespan, and many have already become unreadable. That’s why it’s important to back up your recordable discs before it’s too late—here’s how to do it. Read This Article on How-To Geek ›

Volkswagen paid $9.5 billion to US 'dieselgate' drivers

4KEngadget / 18h
It feels like we’ve been writing about Volkswagen’s emissions scandal, better known as ‘Dieselgate,’ for years. That’s because we have — almost half a decade , in fact. To round off the whole saga, the US’ Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has published a “ final report ” that notes just how much the Volkswagen Group, which includes Audi and Porsche, paid out to hoodwinked car buyers in the US: $9.5

Help Save the Monarch Butterfly

3KLifehacker / 13h
Monarch butterflies are in danger—so much so that they may soon be officially endangered . Due to deforestation, climate change and associated habitat loss, monarch populations are in sharp decline , and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to decide whether to add the monarch to the endangered species list … Read more...


Yamaha YDX-MORO all-mountain e-bikes give a boost in the boonies

SlashGear / 5min
Yamaha is adding two new e-bikes to its line-up, and this time they’re meant for those headed out into the mountains. The Yamaha YDX-MORO and YDX-MORO Pro are the bike company’s first powered all-mountain options, capable of pedal assist speeds up to 20 mph. Both are Class 1 e-bikes, and use the company’s new PW-X2 drive unit. There are five … Continue reading
YESTERDAY

Nubia Watch with a foldable display along with Red Magic gaming accessories announced

Nubia Watch AMOLED
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 33min
ZTE has announced the new Nubia Watch along with a few gaming-focused accessories under the Red Magic brand

Major hurdle cleared for WhatsApp Pay's roll out in India

Dark Mode WhatsApp India
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 40min
In a positive develompent for Whatsapp Pay, the RBI has told the court that it is now fully compliant with its data-localisation norms.

The next OnePlus Nord smartphone might be even more affordable

OnePlus Nord 8 Snapdragon
24TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 47min
The next smartphone in the OnePlus Nord family might opt for the Snapdragon 690 5G chipset, taking the price even lower.

Booze delivery app Drizly hit by massive data breach affecting 2.5 million accounts

58Mashable / 1h
Alcohol delivery app Drizly has been hit with a huge data breach, revealing customers' email addresses, birthdays, encrypted passwords, and even delivery addresses. You'd hope hackers would at least have the decency to leave our liquor alone amidst this incredibly trying pandemic, but apparently nothing is sacred. In a statement to Mashable, Drizly said it first realised customers' data may have

Disney's The Mandalorian scores a raft of Emmy noms, but competition is fierce

20TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 1h
The streaming giants have received a staggering number of nominations at this year's Emmy Awards.

'Fix your bike' website crashes as scheme launches in England

500+BBC News - Technology / 1h
A website offering £50 bike repair vouchers from the government did not work for about four hours.

How much power does tech 'big four' have?

64BBC News - Technology / 1h
Regulators are scrutinising Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook. How much power do the 'big four' hold?

How to watch the Sony A7S III livestream: tune in for a 'deep dive' on its video star

Sony A7S III Alpha RAW
TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 1h
Sony is jumping off the top board for a 'deep dive' on its new Sony A7S III – here's how to tune into today's live webinar.

Space Camp needs to raise $1.5 million to survive the pandemic

100+Engadget / 2h
Space Camp and its home, the US Space and Rocket Center museum in Alabama, are in danger of shutting down permanently due to the coronavirus pandemic. To save both, center officials have launched a “Save Space Camp” campaign that’s seeking to raise $1.5 million. They’ve already collected $250,000 in donations in the campaign’s first 10 hours, and people can still contribute through GoFundMe. Than

Realme C15 debuts with a quad-camera setup, Helio G35 and a massive battery

TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 2h
The Realme C15 is a fully loaded smartphone entry-level budget Android smartphone that successes the recently launched Realme C11

Some scientists are taking a DIY coronavirus vaccine, and nobody knows if it’s legal or if it works

400+MIT Technology Review / 2h
Preston Estep was alone in a borrowed laboratory, somewhere in Boston. No big company, no board meetings, no billion-dollar payout from Operation Warp Speed, the US government’s covid-19 vaccine funding program. No animal data. No ethics approval. What he did have: ingredients for a vaccine. And one willing volunteer. Estep swirled together the mixture and spritzed it up his nose. Nearly 200 covi

How to watch big tech’s CEOs tangle with Congress on antitrust issues and more

Amazon Google Congress
100+TechCrunch / 2h
Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai and Mark Zuckerberg will defend their companies before the House Antitrust Subcommittee Wednesday in a hearing that will make tech industry history, no matter what happens. Given that the tech giants are accustomed to answering to no one in particular, collecting four of them on a substantive topic is notable in its own right. Remarkably, Wednesday will mark th

Nubia Watch puts a new angle on the bendable smartphone for your wrist

Nubia Watch Red TWS GaN
SlashGear / 3h
We’ve seen quite a few mobile devices designed around the idea of a flexible screen but nubia’s Alpha probably took the cake last year. Pretty much a smartphone you could wrap around your wrist, the device utilized a flexible screen that curved gently to offer a futuristic-looking smartwatch. This year, nubia has taken that idea and pulled it down to … Continue reading

6 of the cheapest VPNs for staying anonymous online

20Mashable / 3h
All those hours you've spent searching for the perfect reaction GIF or drooling over recipes on YouTube seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things — but to Google, hackers, your internet service provider (ISP), and even certain government agencies, that browsing history is a valuable commodity. And guess what? They're probably tracking and logging every digital move you make. Like, right no

After India and US, Japan looks to ban TikTok and other Chinese apps

100+TechCrunch / 3h
A group of Japanese lawmakers is seeking to restrict the use of TikTok and other apps developed by Chinese firms, following the footstep of India, which has already blocked dozens of Chinese apps, and the U.S., which is floating the idea of a ban. The decision was first reported by the Japanese national broadcaster NHK. The lawyers shared the same concern as officials in the U.S. and India that t

Nubia Red Magic 5S gaming phone promises to be better at keeping cool

SlashGear / 3h
Just when you thought gaming smartphones have gone silent this year, along comes not one, not even two, but three new ones. Then again, ZTE sub-brand nubia has never been silent in this niche market, pushing out model after model and variant after variant of its Red Magic gaming smartphones. The latest to join its band is the Red Magic … Continue reading

Read how Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google plan to defend themselves to Congress

Amazon Google Congress
100+TechCrunch / 3h
With their big day before lawmakers just around the corner , previews of Google (well, Alphabet), Facebook, Amazon and Apple’s opening statements are now available on the House Judiciary Committee’s site . On Wednesday, the CEOs of each company will appear in an unusually executive-packed Congressional hearing focused on antitrust concerns over the business practices. While the opening statements

First SSD with 1PB ‘usable capacity’ could come in 2023

28TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 3h
400TB native, 1PB compressed using the 2.5:1 industry ratio

PlayStation 5 might let you quickly jump into specific parts of a game

Sony PS5 PlayStation
25SlashGear / 4h
The contest between consoles and gaming PC is waged on many fronts and one of the things that consoles always boast of, and something that Valve’s Steam Machine practically conceded, is being a dedicated gaming machine. You start it up and are immediately dumped into a gaming hub, no fussing with an operating system or dealing with notifications from this … Continue reading

Substack Just Accidentally Revealed Email Addresses of Tons of Users

61Gizmodo / 4h
Oh god: Someone at Substack accidentally sent out an email blast exposing the email addresses of numerous users. Read more...

Google Stadia breaks free of Wi-Fi – here's how to stream games on 4G and 5G

20TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 4h
Google has finally turned on mobile game-streaming for its Stadia service. Here’s how to opt in.

Toppr raises $46 million to scale its online learning platform in India

Toppr Foundation Holdings
44TechCrunch / 4h
Toppr, one of the largest online learning startups in India, has secured $46 million in a new financing round as it looks to scale its platform including a new product. Dubai-headquartered investment firm Foundation Holdings led the Mumbai-based seven-year-old startup’s Series D round. Kaizen Private Equity, an existing investor, also participated in the new round, which brings Toppr’s to-date ra

Xiaomi to implement back tap gesture ahead just like iOS 14

Xiaomi 12 Back Tap Google
SlashGear / 5h
Chinese phone makers, especially Xiaomi, have long been derided for copying Apple’s each and every iPhone move. And upcoming feature, though small, will probably reinforce that image despite how these companies have moved away from that stigma and developed their own strong identities. Xiaomi is revealed to be working on a feature for its upcoming MIUI 12 that will allow … Continue reading

Big tech CEOs release opening statements before antitrust hearing

Amazon Google Congress
100+Engadget / 5h
The big tech antitrust hearing with the House Judiciary Committee is set to occur tomorrow, July 29th at 12PM ET. But all four CEOs -- Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Sundar Pichai of Google, Tim Cook of Apple, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook -- have released their opening statements early. In all of them, the CEOs attempted to make the case that as successful as their companies are, they do not represent a mo

Galaxy Note 20 Exynos 990 tipped to be an improved version

SlashGear / 5h
Samsung has always put the best of the best components in its flagship Galaxy phones but one critical hardware is quickly becoming a liability rather than an asset. Its own branded Exynos silicon, in spite and despite all the marketing, has had trouble catching up with its Qualcomm equivalents in recent iterations. That disparity made headlines when the Galaxy S20 … Continue reading

Twitter will block links promoting hate speech and violence

300+Engadget / 5h
Twitter is closing a loophole in its rules to make it harder for users to spread hate speech and violent content. The company is updating its policies to ban links to content that promotes violence and hateful conduct. Twitter already had rules in place barring hateful conduct and violence in tweets, but the policy didn’t extend to linked content. So users could effectively skirt Twitter’s polici

The AMC and Universal War Over Movies Has Ended, Thank God

Universal AMC iTunes
100+Gizmodo / 6h
Earlier this year—roughly 100 years ago now—you’ll recall that AMC had a very public, very messy falling out with NBCUniversal over distribution rights that saw the movie theater chain swear off Universal Pictures films in its theaters globally, ostensibly forever. In a somewhat surprising turn, it appears the two… Read more...

OnePlus Nord for the US might come in a different form

OnePlus Nord US Snapdragon
SlashGear / 6h
OnePlus’s latest smartphone may have just eclipsed the high-end premium OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. That despite its obviously mid-range specs and slightly worrying durability. The OnePlus Nord just seems to have the perfect combination of features and price for these uncertain times. Unfortunately, the Nord’s launch details have left out US availability. The good news is that it … Continue read

Why Do People Unbuckle Their Seat Belt Before the Plane Comes to a Complete Stop?

View from the Wing / 6h
After your flight lands you're supposed to keep your seat belt buckled until the pilot parks at the gate and turns off the seat belt sign. Although if you've been on any commercial flight in the past decade you know that's not what happens. At the very latest once the plane stops (you might still not be at the gate, and will move again) passengers start to take off their seat belts, gather their

Thanks to COVID-19, everybody wants Density’s technology tracking building occupancy and use

Density Kleiner Perkins
100+TechCrunch / 6h
Before the COVID-19 epidemic, Density was being used by companies like TechCrunch’s parent company, Verizon, to see how it could better use office space after the Yahoo!/Aol merger. Now, thanks to the COVID-19 epidemic everyone wants the company’s technology to track building and room occupancy and use. It’s one reason why the company managed to raise $51 million in a new round of funding led by

United makes upgrading to business class on Turkish Airlines cheaper

The Points Guy / 7h
United Airlines is using the downtime during the coronavirus to make a bunch of adjustments to its MileagePlus program. We’ve seen the carrier extend elite status , remove its partner award chart , make it harder to qualify for status through Star Alliance flights and raise the cost of partner awards across the board. Today, however, the carrier is introducing a positive update. As a member of St

Office 365 will soon tell you more about the threats in your inbox

20TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 7h
Microsoft has a number of updates focused on email security planned for Office 365 that will roll out later this year.

Hevo draws in $8 million Series A for its no-code data pipeline service

Hevo Series Qualgro
300+TechCrunch / 7h
Hevo founders Manish Jethani and Sourabh Agarwal According to data pipeline startup Hevo , many small- to medium-sized companies juggle more than 40 different applications to manage sales, marketing, finance, customer support and other operations. All of these applications are important sources of data that can be analyzed to improve a company’s performance. That data often remains separate, howe

Google Stadia’s latest experiment adds support for gaming on 5G

Google Stadia Today
SlashGear / 7h
Google Stadia, the cloud-based game streaming service, requires a fast network to support the type of low-latency gameplay subscribers expect. This makes gaming over cellular networks questionable at best, but times are changing and mobile broadband speeds are quickly evolving. In its latest update, Google says that Stadia players can now stream their game over 4G and 5G networks, but … Continue

Bringing Mars back to Earth

300+BBC News - Technology / 7h
An audacious mission to bring rock samples from Mars back to Earth is about to begin - find our more with our illustrated guide

Five Sex Toy Wipes for Every Need and Every Budget

28Lifehacker / 7h
Toy cleaning wipes are an incredibly convenient product for people who use sex toys in their regular life. They can be stashed in a bedside table drawer, packed in a Dopp kit for use when traveling, and they’re the perfect thing to use for quick cleaning a toy in between uses. The convenience factor makes toy cleaning… Read more...

Perfect Your Surround Sound Setup with These Level Calibration Tools

28Gizmodo / 7h
Featured Product: Gain Express Professional Sound Level Meter | $39 | Amazon Read more...

Join Me For Instagram Live Wednesday At 5pm Eastern

21View from the Wing / 7h
On Wednesday at 5 p.m. Eastern I’ll be doing another Instagram live, this time with Mommy Points on her Instagram feed. Continue reading ...

This family traveled to Aruba on reopening day — Here’s what happened

65The Points Guy / 7h
Editor’s note: As the travel industry reopens following COVID-19 shutdowns, TPG suggests that you talk to your doctor, follow health officials’ guidance and research local travel restrictions before booking that next trip. We’ll be here to help you prepare, whether you’re traveling this month or next year. With Americans banned from traveling to most countries around the world right now, potentia

Stop Saying Facebook Is ‘Too Big to Moderate’

100+Wired / 7h
The social media company could surely enforce its own rules on false and harmful posts—it just needs to cut into its massive profit margins.

Reprimand for Wish over nipple tassel ad in BBC recipe app

100+BBC News - Technology / 7h
Watchdog says Wish ads that appeared within Google and BBC apps were likely to cause offence.

I Refuse to Believe This

35Gizmodo / 7h
Quibi—a new streaming service that reportedly lost 92% of its users after their free trial ended, only garnered around 300,000 downloads on launch day, and only added Apple AirPlay and Chromecast compatibility after people kept complaining about only being able to watch shows on their phones—has been nominated for ten… Read more...

Yeah, So It Turns Out Rite Aid Has Been Using Face Recognition at Hundreds of Stores

Rite Aid Hundreds Stores
1KGizmodo / 7h
Rite Aid used face recognition to scan the faces of every single customer who walked into hundreds of its stores in a program encompassing most of the past decade, Reuters reported on Tuesday . Read more...

Coronavirus crisis claims another small cruise line — the third in a month

72The Points Guy / 8h
Another small cruise line has shut down amid the coronavirus pandemic. FTI Cruises, a German brand with just one ship, has operated its last voyage, according to several German cruise sites . While little known in North America, FTI Cruises offered voyages in Europe and the Caribbean that catered to English speakers as well as Germans. Both English and German were spoken on board its one vessel,

TransferWise confirms new $5B valuation following $319M secondary share sale

TransferWise Valuation
100+TechCrunch / 8h
TransferWise , the London-headquartered international money transfer service, is disclosing that it is now valued at $5 billion by private investors, confirming an earlier Sky News report . The new valuation represents an increase of 43% since May 2019, and has been triggered by a further $319 million in secondary share sales. Leading the “secondary” share round — which sees existing shareholders

Microsoft Family Safety app exits preview with advanced parental controls

22SlashGear / 8h
Microsoft Family Safety, the parental control app that was introduced on mobile as a preview back in May, is now available for everyone. The app gives parents more control over their child’s devices, the ways they are used, and how much time is spent staring at a screen. Unlike some digital wellness apps, Microsoft Family Safety is available for both … Continue reading

Dodgers vs Astros live stream: how to watch the MLB series online from anywhere

20TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 8h
AL vs NL West showdown between two 2020 World Series favorites

Uzi Nissan, Internet Domain Owner Who Fought Nissan In Court For A Decade, Has Died Of Covid-19

1KGizmodo / 8h
Uzi Nissan , the legendary owner of the nissan.com web domain who fought with the automaker of the same name for nearly a decade in court, has passed away from Covid-19 complications this month. Read more...

Mounting poisonings, blindness, deaths as toxic hand sanitizers flood market

3KArs Technica / 8h
Enlarge / Hand sanitizer being applied to a person's hand. (credit: Getty | Leopoldo Smith ) The Food and Drug Administration is renewing warnings this week of dangerous hand sanitizers as it continues to find products that contain toxic methanol—a poisonous alcohol that can cause systemic effects, blindness, and death. The agency’s growing “do-not-use list” of dangerous sanitizers now includes 8

Universal’s Theatrical Releases Will Quickly Be Available in Homes

Universal AMC iTunes
500+NYT > Technology / 8h
The studio agreed to a deal with AMC, the world’s biggest theater chain, to shorten the exclusive window for new movies to 17 days from 90, likely changing the way Hollywood does business.

Dominica is open for travelers — but you’ll need to start planning your paperwork well in advance

40The Points Guy / 8h
As the travel industry reopens following COVID-19 shutdowns, TPG suggests that you talk to your doctor, follow health officials’ guidance and research local travel restrictions before booking that next trip. We will be here to help you prepare, whether it is next month or next year. The small island nation of Dominica opens for travelers on Aug. 7. Here’s what we know so far, and what you should

Universal's deal with AMC shortens theatrical exclusivity to 17 days

AMC Universal Deal VOD
100+Engadget / 8h
In a pact that is likely to change the film industry, Universal and AMC have agreed to allow the studio's movies to make their way to premium video-on-demand (PVOD) platforms after only 17 days of play at theaters. The agreement is a significant change from the status quo. Traditionally, studios have shown their films at cinemas for about three months before making them available for home viewing

The Danger of Blue Light Is Real. Protect Your Eyes With Blue Light Glasses.

Futurism / 8h
By now most people know that the blue light emitted from our beloved smart gadgets is keeping us awake at night. However, what most people don’t know is that, when it comes to blue light, insomnia might be the least of our problems. In recent years scientists have linked overexposure to blue light to a number of different health issues, including things like blindness, obesity, and even cancer, j

This App Is Keeping My Plants Alive, No Thanks to Me

100+Gizmodo / 8h
Here’s the thing about plants: They’re gorgeous, they improve just about any space, and in most cases, they’re generally fairly easy to take care of with a little consideration to their needs. Personally, I can’t live without them, and they were some of the first things I bought after relocating to the West Coast… Read more...

Six things venture capitalists are looking for in your pitch

100+TechCrunch / 8h
Founders pitch venture capitalists at every available chance, which is why most of them quickly develop the skills required to identify whether someone is offering them an opportunity or wasting their time. At TechCrunch Early Stage, I chatted with NFX Managing Partner James Currier about how founders can find the right investors and what they need to show to win an investment. Currier has been o

This High Tech Virtual Trainer Is the Future of the at Home Workout

Futurism / 8h
Just about any fitness expert will tell you that working out in groups or with personal trainers is way more effective than trying to go it alone in the confines of your own home. And they don’t just say that because it’s good for business. There is a ton of research to back these claims up. Unfortunately, working out at the gym or with other people isn’t always an option. Some people need workou

Global air travel unlikely to recover until 2024 as COVID remains ‘issue’ in US, elsewhere

37The Points Guy / 8h
The prognosis for airlines keeps getting worse. The latest comes from the International Air Transport Association, where the organization’s latest forecast now pushes a recovery to pre-coronavirus pandemic levels off by at least a year. IATA, the trade group representing airlines globally, does not expect the number of flyers to return to 2019 levels until at least 2024, the organization’s chief

Apex Legends will soon offer gun charms exclusively for Steam players

SlashGear / 8h
Later on this fall season, Respawn’s hit battle royale game Apex Legends will be released on Steam, giving PC players a new way to download and play the game. That release will be joined by a special perk restricted to those who download the title on Steam: exclusive gun charms. Electronic Arts is showing off all three charms ahead of … Continue reading

Stadia users can now try the service over cellular

Google Stadia Today
63Engadget / 9h
Stadia now allows you to stream games over 4G and 5G connections , provided you're willing to try the functionality out as part of Google's latest experiment. You can enable the feature by launching the Stadia app on your phone, tapping on your avatar, and navigating to the Experiments section of the settings menu. Keep in mind Google is currently rolling out the feature to users, so you may not

Are you at risk of ID theft? Here are 5 tell-tale behaviours

TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 9h
Think you're immune to identity theft? Think again; there's a strong chance that you exhibit one of these tell-tale behaviours of identity theft victims.

This professional VR headset arrives in a military-grade suitcase with a PC included

53TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 9h
XTAL NovBox packs enterprise-grade XTAL 8K 180° virtual reality headset and a high-end PC into a ruggedized case.

The hype, haplessness and hope of haptics in the COVID-19 era

100+TechCrunch / 9h
Devon Powers Contributor Devon Powers is an associate professor of advertising at Temple University and the author of "On Trend: The Business of Forecasting the Future." David Parisi Contributor David Parisi is an associate professor at the College of Charleston and author of "Archaeologies of Touch: Interfacing with Haptics from Electricity to Computing." In March, Brooklynite Jeremy Cohen achie

Apple is about to shake up the OLED world

Apple OLED iPhone Samsung
SlashGear / 9h
LG Display has been given the rare chance to take on competitor Samsung in a major way, a new report claims, with Apple allegedly tapping the company to produce millions of OLED panels for its upcoming iPhone models. Apple is expected to introduce an iPhone lineup that features OLED screens across the line, resulting in increased demand for this component. … Continue reading

New Video Shows Inside Look at SpaceX Space Suit Lab

Futurism / 9h
Inside the Space Suit In a sleek new video, SpaceX gave a rare behind-the-scenes look at the development of its iconic new spacesuit — the one worn by NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley during their historic mission to the International Space Station in May. Rather than pay external contractors to develop the suit, SpaceX designed it from the ground up in-house, literally in the same bui

Heads roll at Intel after 7nm delay

Intel 7Nm TSMC Chief
100+Ars Technica / 9h
Enlarge / Dr. Venkata (Murthy) Renduchintala speaks at Intel's 2017 Technology and Manufacturing Day. (credit: Intel Corporation) The past few years have been tough times for Intel, and after last week's news that intel's 7nm parts had been delayed (again), this week the company is announcing a shakeup to the executive team. The biggest news is that Intel's chief engineering officer, Murthy Rendu

Officials Are Investigating The Chainsmokers for Spreading the Coronavirus

400+Futurism / 9h
What was supposed to be a socially-distanced, drive-in Chainsmokers concert quickly degraded into the sort of packed, close-quarters event one might have attended in the Before Times. Now, New York’s Department of Health says it will investigate the July 25 concert as a health hazard, NBC News reports . The close quarters and spotty mask-wearing make it all but certain that concertgoers walked aw

Watch Tech's Most Powerful CEOs Take Part in an Antitrust Hearing Tomorrow

Amazon Google Congress
24Lifehacker / 9h
Four of the most powerful tech industry CEOs will testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, July 29 to determine whether their companies engaged in anti-competitive business strategies against smaller, rival companies. The hearing will be streamed live via YouTube for anyone to watch. Read more...

Think Twice Before Bringing Cash To The Airport [Roundup]

View from the Wing / 9h
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips. Continue reading ...

Rite Aid deployed facial recognition in hundreds of stores, report finds

Rite Aid Hundreds Stores
1KArs Technica / 10h
Enlarge / A woman wearing a mask walks past a Rite-Aid store in Portland, Oregon, in May 2020. (credit: hapabapa | Getty Images ) Pharmacy chain Rite Aid deployed facial recognition technology in hundreds of store locations in the nation's largest cities, particularly in low-income neighborhoods predominantly home to people of color, a new report has found. Reuters today published an in-depth rep

MacKenzie Scott donates $1.7bn since Amazon boss divorce

1KBBC News - Technology / 10h
The charity donations by the novelist follow her divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019.

Razer Halo Infinite gaming gear releases set for Xbox Series X, PC

Halo Infinite Xbox
SlashGear / 10h
Halo Infinite will be released attached to an array of gaming accessories made by Razer this holiday season. Razer announced their partnership with 343 Industries this week. Razer and 343 Industries did not yet reveal the specific products that’d be released in this collaborations, but we can make a few assumptions based on collaborations Razer’s done in the past. “Razer … Continue reading

How NASA’s Tiny New Helicopter Will Make History on Mars

NASA Mars Earth Martian
62Gizmodo / 10h
We’re beyond stoked about the upcoming launch of the Perseverance rover to Mars, but NASA’s new explorer won’t be alone on its journey. Tucked beneath its belly is a tiny helicopter named Ingenuity, which will hopefully be the first aircraft to take flight on an alien world. Read more...

Spotify Group Sessions beta now includes your long distance friends

Spotify Group Session
SlashGear / 10h
Back in May, Spotify began testing a new feature called Group Sessions. The feature allowed Premium users to share some control over their playlists, but it only worked with other physically present Premium users. Two and a half months later, Spotify is back with an upgrade to Group Sessions that allows them to share DJ duties with users who aren’t … Continue reading

Sign Up to Serve as an Election Day Poll Worker

84Lifehacker / 10h
Election Day is November 3 this year, and it’s less than 100 days away. From the ongoing pandemic to the political firestorm over vote-by-mail, there are plenty of reasons to be apprehensive about what’s to come, but there are a few things you can do to help put your mind at ease. In addition to checking that you’re… Read more...

States are running out of doctors and nurses as COVID-19 surges

300+Ars Technica / 10h
Enlarge / Clinicians care for a COVID-19 patient in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at El Centro Regional Medical Center in hard-hit Imperial County on July 21, 2020 in El Centro, California. (credit: Getty | Mario Tama ) It’s not just beds and medical supplies—hospitals in multiple states are running low on doctors and nurses to tend to the deluge of COVID-19 patients. Military medical personnel a

Scientists accidentally created a new fish

64Mashable / 10h
The 'sturddlefish' is exactly what it sounds like: half Russian sturgeon and half American paddlefish. It's probably sterile and it was made by accident. Read more... More about Science , Mashable Video , Fish , Sturddlefish , and Science

'Phantasy Star Online 2' heads to Steam August 5th

2 Steam August PSO
100+Engadget / 10h
Phantasy Star Online 2 finally made its way to the US earlier this year as a free-to-play title on the Xbox One and Windows Store for PCs. But despite being an 8-year-old game, the launch was surprisingly buggy for Windows users , who reported installation trouble, as well as slowdown and crashing. Soon there will be another option: Sega announced today that PSO2 will make its way to Steam on Aug

Box boosts cloud security with automated classification

20TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 10h
Box Shield can now scan files in real-time and automatically classify them based on their contents.

Introducing In Machines We Trust

71MIT Technology Review / 10h
This page should redirect you to the show page. If it does not, please click here .

How developing incentives for public transportation will combat car dependency

Mashable / 10h
With mass transit taking such a big hit due to the global shutdown there needs to be new ways to get people back onto public transportation. Read more... More about Mashable Video , Climate Change , Environmental , Social Good Summit , and Mass Transit

Should You Sign Up for Chromebook's 100GBs of Free Dropbox Storage?

24Lifehacker / 11h
One of the best parts of buying a Chromebook is perusing all the deals Google dumps on top of your purchase. (You do know about the deals, right?) Admittedly, a number of these “perks” are actually extended or souped-up trial offers aiming to get you hooked into a subscription you might not otherwise have purchased,… Read more...

Microsoft’s new Family Safety app offers parental controls across phones, PCs and Xbox

Microsoft Family Safety
200+TechCrunch / 11h
Microsoft’s new screen time and parental controls app, Microsoft Family Safety, is today launching publicly on iOS and Android, following a preview of the experience which had arrived earlier this spring. The app is designed to help parents better understand children’s use of screen time, set limits and create screen time schedules, configure boundaries around web access, and track family members

Movies Anywhere’s co-viewing Watch Together feature arrives for everyone

Movies Anywhere WT
SlashGear / 11h
Disney’s cloud-based digital locker Movies Anywhere has finally launched its co-viewing experience for all users after months of beta testing the Screen Pass aspect. With this new feature, which is called Watch Together, Movies Anywhere users are able to watch a digital streaming show with their friends and family even if they’re located in a different part of the country. … Continue reading

eBussy is a modular EV that's also a camper, pickup truck and more

1KEngadget / 11h
It turns out nostalgic consumers won't have to wait for Volkswagen's ID Buzz to get their hands on an electric microbus. A German company called Electric Brands is working on a VW Bus-inspired EV called the eBussy (via The Drive ). But there's more to the eBussy than a mere nostalgia play. In addition to both urban and off-road chassis variants, you can configure the modular vehicle with 10 diffe

Physicists Say There’s a 90 Percent Chance Civilization Will Soon Collapse

13KFuturism / 11h
Final Countdown If humanity continues down its current path, civilization as we know it is heading toward “ irreversible collapse ” in a matter of decades. That’s according to research published in the journal Scientific Reports , which models out our future based on current rates of deforestation and other resource use. As Motherboard reports , even the rosiest projections in the research show a

How a young mayor rewrote the story of a troubled American city

100+Mashable / 11h
When Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs came into this world 30 years ago, it seemed unlikely that the world would nurture and one day celebrate his unique gifts. His mother was a teenager, while his father belonged to a gang and has spent most of Tubbs' life in state prison. Born and raised in Stockton, their Black son would grow up to become a politician capable of what so many are not: designing and

Stand up to Your ISP and Save 80% on VyprVPN for 2 Years

VPN Brave ISP Canada
28Gizmodo / 11h
2-Year VPN Plan | $60 | VyprVPN Read more...

Qatar Airways Argues It’s Unethical To Fly The A380

200+One Mile at a Time / 11h
Here’s an interesting argument from Qatar Airways regarding its current fleet strategy. Qatar Airways has grounded its A380 fleet… Like many airlines around the world, Qatar Airways has grounded its A380 fleet . This makes sense, given the lack of demand for global travel at the moment. What I find interesting is an email I just received from a Qatar Airways PR representative, who wanted to see i

Stand up to Your ISP and Save 80% on VyprVPN for 2 Years

VPN Brave ISP Canada
28Lifehacker / 11h
2-Year VPN Plan | $60 | VyprVPN Read more...

A Sick Sous-Vide Has Been Bricked by Mandatory Subscriptions

48Gizmodo / 11h
The Mellow Sous-Vide machine-made soft, gentle, susurrating waves when it first launched in 2014 . Designed to keep and cook foods at a specific temperature, it featured an elegant design and an integrated tub that ensured uniform heating and cooling. Read more...

We're Still in the First Wave

500+Lifehacker / 11h
Despite being told for months that the novel coronavirus is unlike anything we’ve dealt with in modern times, it’s still tempting for us to think of it in terms of influenza . (Even though they’re definitely not the same thing.) This makes sense because we’re familiar with the flu, and with flu season, and they seem to… Read more...

Activists Replace Confederate Statue With Amazing Hologram of George Floyd

1KFuturism / 11h
Activist Hologram After Black Lives Matter protesters toppled the Jefferson Davis monument in Richmond, Virginia last month, activists put up a futuristic new symbol in support of the fight against racial injustice last night. Replacing the likeness of the Confederate leader, who owned more than 100 slaves , was a 3D hologram of George Floyd, whose death at the hands of Minneapolis police in May

Xbox Games with Gold for August go heavy on classic Xbox nostalgia

SlashGear / 11h
Yesterday, Sony revealed the PlayStation Plus free games lineup for August, and now Microsoft is following suit. Today the company revealed the Xbox Live Games with Gold for the month of August, and we’ve got something of a strange sight: not a single Xbox 360 game is included. It isn’t often that happens, but nevertheless, August’s Games with Gold lineup … Continue reading

No-Cook Meals to Make During a Heat Wave

200+Lifehacker / 11h
Heating the inside of my home while it is very hot outside of it is not something I enjoy. During a heat wave, even the act of eating hot food can feel like a punishment. That is why it’s helpful to have an arsenal of no-cook meals at the ready. Read more...

Alcohol delivery service Drizly confirms data breach

200+TechCrunch / 12h
Online alcohol delivery startup Drizly has told customers that it was hit by a data breach. In an email to customers obtained by TechCrunch, the company said that a hacker “obtained” some customer data. The hacker took customer email addresses, date-of-birth, passwords hashed using the stronger bcrypt algorithm, and in some cases delivery address, the email read. As many as 2.5 million Drizly acc

Big Pokemon GO League changes mean ‘Great League’ top 10 just got weird

SlashGear / 12h
Another massive switch was clicked overnight, bringing Pokemon GO Battle League into fruition here on July 28, 2020. This update jacked up several key moves in the Go Battle League Season 3 meta, including such oddities as Blizzard, Powder Snow, Infestation, Hex, Drill Peck, and Brave Bird, to name a few. Changes made to the game gave the new Pokemon … Continue reading

Marshall's New Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker Sounds as Good as It Looks

82Gizmodo / 12h
If there’s one thing Marshall does exceptionally well, it’s making beautiful devices. Speaking exclusively to aesthetics, a lot of speakers—and more specifically, Bluetooth speakers—are decidedly clunky and weird-looking. Sure, the most important thing about the function of a speaker is obviously to make your music… Read more...

Remote workers urged to create proper home offices to protect their health

SlashGear / 12h
Many people have found themselves working remotely from home as a result of the pandemic, forcing them to adjust to a new workflow that, in many cases, involves taking over the kitchen table or bedroom closet. It is apparent that remote working, when possible, will be a long-term reality for many people, meaning it’s time to accept fate and create … Continue reading

You Can Finally Stream Spotify From Your PC to Google Home Speakers

70Lifehacker / 12h
Spotify is available on almost every popular device we can think of. Each app does virtually the same thing whether you’re listening on a smartphone, computer, or through a smart tv app, but there was an odd limitation for desktop users: You couldn’t cast Spotify to a “Google Cast” device like a Chomecast or a Google… Read more...

SAP decision to spin out Qualtrics 20 months after spending $8B surprises industry watchers

SAP Qualtrics Oracle
100+TechCrunch / 12h
When SAP announced it was spinning out Qualtrics on Sunday, a company it bought less than two years ago for an eye-popping $8 billion , it was enough to make your head spin. At the time, then CEO Bill McDermott saw it as a way to bridge the company’s core operational with customer data, while acquiring a cloud company that could help generate recurring revenue for the ERP giant, and maybe give it

Rite Aid used facial recognition in hundreds of stores for years

Rite Aid Hundreds Stores
500+Engadget / 12h
Rite Aid used facial recognition systems in hundreds of its drugstores across the US over the last several years. According to a Reuters investigation , the technology was deployed in “largely lower-income, non-white neighborhoods” in New York and Los Angeles and had been in use for over eight years. The system was designed to identify customers who the company previously had detected were “engag

Nintendo's Latest Solution for Its Cloud Problem Is Still a Half Measure

Animal Crossing Nintendo
25Gizmodo / 12h
My birthday gift from my partner this year was a Switch Lite. Actually, it was part of an elaborate upgrade scheme we cooked up. His regular Switch was kinda broken—you have to jiggle it a few times in the dock for it to connect properly to the TV. I almost never hook my Switch up to the TV. It made sense to buy a… Read more...

Video conferencing gets less painful with Microsoft Teams Rooms

TechRadar - All the latest technology ne... / 12h
Microsoft has unveiled new subscription and management options for Microsoft Teams Rooms devices.

A bunch of board games are discounted on Amazon today

60Ars Technica / 12h
Enlarge (credit: Ars Technica) Today's Dealmaster is headlined by an Amazon Gold Box sale on a variety of board games. While we can't vouch for everything on sale, we have recommended a handful of the discounted games in the past. Perhaps the most notable deal is Kingdomino for $14 , which is the cheapest we've seen it on Amazon since a brief drop to $12 last holiday season. Kingdomino won the 20

8 Airlines Offer All You Can Fly Passes For Just $500

52View from the Wing / 12h
Shanghai-based Delta partner China Eastern is back to 94% of prior year domestic capacity. They’re running a “Fly as you wish” deal which for $475 offers unlimited weekend flights. They report selling over 100,000 passes. At least 8 Chinese airlines are offering ‘all you can fly’ deals. Just today China Southern, part-owned by American Airlines and Qatar Airways, introduced all you can fly. Conti

Give Yourself the Gift of Extra Gigs With $40 off This 1TB External Drive From Samsung

Gizmodo / 12h
Samsung T7 1TB External USB-C Drive | $160 | Best Buy Read more...

What to Do if You Still Haven’t Received the First Stimulus Check

96Lifehacker / 12h
Yesterday afternoon, Senate Republicans unveiled the HEALS Act , their latest response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As expected, the HEALS Act includes a provision for another round of $1,200 direct payments —similar to what the CARES Act offered. While the second stimulus check is a welcome relief, millions of… Read more...

Why aren’t Rackspace and BigCommerce worth more?

78TechCrunch / 12h
This week has brought with it two tasty pieces of IPO news — Rackspace’s return to the public markets and BigCommerce’s debut will be far more interesting now that we know what a first-draft valuation for each looks like. But amidst the numbers is a question worth answering: Why aren’t cloud-focused Rackspace and e-commerce-powering BigCommerce worth more? Using a basic share count and the top en

'Cuphead' Makes a Surprise Jump to PlayStation 4 Today

How-To Geek / 12h
Well, this is a surprise! Cuphead, a fantastic game that promised to “never come to PlayStation,” is now out on the PS4. The gorgeous game with 30’s style hand-drawn animation hit Xbox One first, before sliding over to the Nintendo Switch. But the developers said that was the end of the line—-until now. Read This Article on Review Geek ›

Movies Anywhere Now Lets You Watch With Friends Anywhere

26How-To Geek / 12h
Recently Movies Anywhere announced Screen Pass, a new feature that lets you share the movies you own with friends. Now it’s going a step further and letting you watch movies with friends no matter where they are—even if they don’t own the film. Read This Article on Review Geek ›

Microsoft Officially Launches Family Saftey App for iOS and Android

Microsoft Family Safety
41How-To Geek / 12h
Microsoft has been testing a Family Safety app for iOS and Android for months now, and it’s ready to release it to everyone. The app will let you track your children’s screen usage, filter their websites, and set app time limits. Best of all, it’s free. Read This Article on Review Geek ›

GoPro launches a line of bags, water bottles and a hat because why the hell not

GoPro Launches Lifestyle
100+TechCrunch / 12h
GoPro is now in the merch game with a new line of gear that prominently features GoPro’s logo. From bags to hats, this gear is priced attractively and has the standard affair of features. But in the end, it’s about the GoPro brand. GoPro, even while struggling to remain relevant as sales drop, cultivated a rich brand identity, and this merchandise embodies the GoPro lifestyle. The line is called

YouTube channel perfectly ruins perfectly good songs

100+Mashable / 12h
Do you like good things? Of course you do! Good things are good. Well, sorry, because this YouTube channel is here to ruin good things. There I Ruined It has posted just two videos in its brief existence, but both posts great. The idea is simple: take something good and hilariously mess it up. So far, the channel has dropped two straight-up terrible reimaginings of good songs. For instance: Do yo

Virgin Galactic SpaceShip Two cabin reveal: Let’s look inside!

21SlashGear / 12h
Virgin Galactic revealed the interior of their SpaceShip Two vehicle VSS Unity today at a streaming event hosted virtually on YouTube. This spaceship is what Virgin Galactic says is the way of the future, with a cabin design “driven by astronaut experience.” That means comfort and usability at the space vehicle’s core. In the cabin, each reclining seat is individually … Continue reading

Bill Gates Slams Elon Musk For Spouting COVID Misinformation

7KFuturism / 12h
Money Fight! Bill Gates has had enough of fellow tech billionaire Elon Musk’s habit of spreading coronavirus misinformation. On Tuesday, Gates spoke at length about online misinformation with CNBC . And when the conversation pivoted to Musk’s online comments, Bill Gates said that the SpaceX and Tesla CEO seemed way out of his element. “Elon’s positioning is to maintain a high level of outrageous



Backblaze